We Need More Teachers Like This

David Orosco left school after third grade to work supporting his family. Here he recalls the importance of his elementary school teacher. A selection from an audio version of David Greenberger?s Duplex Planet magazine, Growing Old In East L.A., offers a look into the lives of elderly Mexican-Americans. The diversity of voices reveal universal themes: identity, reflection in old age, and the dignity of the individual. Music by David Hidalgo and Louise Perez of Los Lobos. Small details empower their stories about the ways we live our lives, the things in which we believe. The rich variety of voices reveals unexpected diversity and common bonds found in East L.A. As listeners, we meet individuals; we grow to understand that diverse communities can connect with each other ? the collective threads are the universal themes: identity, reflection in old age, and the dignity of the individual. Over time, as is the case in friendships, the individuals return to tell more of their stories, and we come to feel as though we know the speakers. Growing Old in East L.A. is also an hour-long radio piece that takes its shape from the print and performance pieces of David Greenberger?s Duplex Planet. For more than a quarter century Greenberger has been talking with old people in nursing homes, mealsites and senior centers, collecting conversations and stories. He has been publishing The Duplex Planet since 1979 and has released more than a dozen CDs of monologues with music performances audio verit? documentaries and a range of other books and audio works.